Pregnancy Termination Law For Women

Pregnancy is the herald of new birth and new life but it is not always a good news for the mother or parents. Sometimes it is unplanned or unwanted. Sometimes it is wrapped up in complications that could be life threatening. So, the Indian Government has listed out some laws related to pregnancy decisions that benefit women because they are the ones who carry the fetus for nine long months and give birth as well.

Child birth is associated with many aspects be it social or financial and an unwanted pregnancy could lead to repercussions of still more serious kind. So, as per section 3(2)b(i) the law mentions these words with respect to pregnancy of a women – ‘grave injury to mental health’. A women owns her body and she has right over it. It emerges from the fundamental rights under article 21 of the Indian Constitution where a woman has every right to live with dignity in the society as a human being. She can terminate her pregnancy under the Pregnancy termination act of 1971. Hence, even a practitioner has to ensure that there is no injury possibility physically or mentally to the pregnant women when terminating the pregnancy.

Termination of pregnancy is a difficult situation for the women and could be the result of considering the growing financial requirements and limitations to sustain the needs of the new born. Also, as per the law, human rights are applicable only on birth and not before that, hence, an unborn fetus does not have the rights to take any decision and only the mother can do so as the pregnancy takes place within her.

The law also indicates the all pregnant women need to be given equal treatment even if they are prisoners. As for prisoner women, they have to be kept under observation as well even if under prison by the medical officer of the prison. Termination of pregnancy by women could be a result of a lot of reasons like working mother, complications, financial issues to name a few. A prisoner needs to be sent to the civil hospital for termination in case she wants to on an immediate basis.